WANDERERS' Greek midfielder Stelios Giannakopoulos hopes to recover from the calf problem which kept him out of Sunday's Russia game in time to face Group B winners and tournament favourites France at the Estadio Jose Alvalade in Lisbon on Friday (7.45pm).

The 29-year-old Wanderers player watched from the sidelines at the Estadio Algarve as Greece qualified for the Euro 2004 quarter-finals, despite losing 2-1.

Russia striker Dmitri Kirichenko admitted he was barely an inch away from dumping Greece out in a dramatic conclusion to Group A.

Kirichenko, who made European Championships history by firing home the quickest ever goal in the competition after just 68 seconds at the Estadio Algarve, was one of three men homing in on Alexei Bugaev's 87th-minute cross.

Had he got a touch, it would have been Spain preparing for the quarter-finals and the Greeks heading for home with their fairytale campaign having drawn to an agonising close.

However, he did not and Otto Rehhagel's men squeezed past the Spanish on goals scored to write a new chapter in their country's sporting legend.

Greece looked to be going out of the competition after their early heroics when Dmitri Boulykin made it 2-0 with just 17 minutes gone, but Zissis Vryzas pulled one back two minutes before the break after Russia passed up a series of other opportunities, and that ultimately was enough to secure his side's passage.

The Greeks are preparing for the latest stage of their big adventure with a depleted squad, but high hopes for glory.

Stelios hopes to recover from the calf problem which kept him out of the Russia game, while Giorgios Karagounis has completed his ban and will be available for Friday's match.

"We hope that everybody is going to be fit for the next match," said Rehhagel. "We can't say anything about the line-up yet."